"I Want to Play Cricket for My Kids": AB de Villiers Hints at a Comeback Four Years After Retirement

The South African star batter AB de Villiers is known for innovative shots around the ground and might return to the game. AB de Villiers was retired from all formats of cricket in 2021. However, his comeback won't be for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

De Villiers made it clear that he wanted to play only causal cricket for fun only because his children were encouraging him to play cricket. De Villiers has no intentions of playing in big leagues like SA20 or IPL.

During the interview de Villiers said: "I might play cricket again one day. I’m not confirming anything, but I’m starting to feel like it. My kids are pushing me, and I think about going to the nets with them. If I enjoy it, maybe I’ll play some casual cricket. It won’t be professional IPL games or South Africa tours, though," 

AB de Villiers said that his children want to see him while playing cricket.

 "Who knows? I’ll give it a shot and see if my eye is still good. My left eye is a bit blurry, but my right one is working fine. I’m doing this for my kids to see if I can enjoy cricket again." He added

AB De Villiers hints at a comeback. 😍pic.twitter.com/d9GlxiqJGK

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 21, 2025

AB de also said that his inspiration was Imran Tahir, who is still playing cricket at the age of 45. Also, he said he would ask Tahir to join his team to play both in one team. 

"Maybe I’ll ask him to join my team wherever I play. He’s one of my favorite players. But nothing serious—no RCB or big stuff. I just want to have fun without any pressure."

This South African star batter has an impressive career in international cricket he scored 20,000 runs in international cricket with an average of above 50 in both Tests and ODIs. AB de Villiers played for RCB in the IPL. He scored 5,162 runs with an average of 39.70 and he maintained an impressive strike rate of 151.68. He scored three centuries and 40 half-centuries. 

Format	Matches	Runs	HS	Ave	SR	100s	50s
Tests	114	8765	278*	50.66	54.51	22	46
ODIs	228	9577	176	53.50	101.09	25	53
T20Is	78	1672	79*	26.12	135.16	0	10
T20s	340	9424	133*	37.24	150.13	4	69

ALSO READ: India vs England at Eden Gardens: Head-to-Head Stats, Weather, Pitch Analysis, and Match Officials